Overall the feedback for this part was good but my tutor stated I should ‘play with form a little longer before heading in a set direction’. I fully appreciate this comment, I got committed with my pavilion design too early, I then felt too involved to change or experiment further. Although I did make some changes to the pavilion, I can now see that I should have played around with different ideas before getting committed to one.

I was pleased my tutor thought I made appropriate observations and analysed information well, as I spent a lot of time on the site of my pavilion to make these observations and undertook research from a number of sources. My tutor however encouraged me to experiment and not be scared to challenge when I had commented “..to create anything too contemporary in design or materials I think would contrast too highly with the village vernacular and be disapproved of by the villagers and Parish Council”. I thought playing is safe in this instance was the right thing to do – but I must ensure I push myself out of the safety zone in the future.

During this part I created a number of models which my tutor was positive about. Model making has been very time consuming but I have found it very beneficial, particularly helpful for problem solving or being able to highlight issues.

My tutor asked if I had tried moving the spiral staircase for it to begin above the slide, making concentric circles with the stair and the slide. I had not tried this but only wish I had – that would have look wonderful!

The tutor also asked if I had thought about 3D modelling for my pavilion design, I did think about this and realise it would have been particularly useful for my technical drawings. 3D modelling is however not a skill I have attempted as yet and I had taken a lot of time on this part of the course that I did not feel I had the time to attempt it.

It was suggested that I stand back from my work, choose key images and give them room to breathe. I have to admit that when I am collating and presenting work, I can get worried about leaving work out, be that written work or images. I am very aware that I do this and would love to have the skill to edit and distil effectively – something I will aim for in my assessment portfolio.

Referencing

My Oxton. (2013). Roman Fort near Beanford Lane ford. [online] Available at: https://myoxton.org/about-oxton/oxton-history/oxton-archaeology/roman-fort-near-beanford-lane-ford/ (Accessed on 12.07.19)

Tumuli. (2019). [image] Available at: https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumulus (Accessed 20.08.19)

Old Ox Camp. (2019). [Image] Available at https://myoxton.org/about-oxton-history/oxton-archaeology/ (Accessed on 10.08.19)

Cartwright, M. (2016). Roman Fort, Lunt. [online] Ancient History Encyclopedia. Available at: https://www.ancient.eu/image/5990/roman-fort-lunt/ (Accessed on 20.08.19)

Frearson, A. (2012). Alésia Museum visitor’s centre by Bernard Tschumi Architects. [online] Dezeen. At: https://www.dezeen.com/2012/03/20/alesia-museum-visitors-centre-by-bernard-tschumi-architects/ (Accessed on 26.07.19)

designboom | architecture & design magazine. (2019). kindergarten in vietnam by kientruc o features a hilltop play area. [online] At: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/kientruc-o-ben-tre-kindergarten-vietnam-03-03-2019 (Accessed on 26.07.19)

designboom | architecture & design magazine. (2019). tezuka architects forms series of round structures for nursery in japan. [online] At: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/tezuka-architects-muku-nursery-japan-03-26-2019/ (Accessed on 26.07.19)

I believe my pavilion is meeting the brief, with a few added extra’s. The footprint should be no larger than 9m2 and it is no taller than 6m high. I chose the pavilions occupants to be children and the purpose of the pavilion to be for shelter from the weather, which I believe the design has achieved.

As most children will be accompanied by adults the pavilion also had to be suitable for their needs too i.e. ceiling heights tall enough to accommodate adults. I however wanted to accentuate that the pavilion is designed with children in mind therefore wanted to make it fun by adding a slide, a viewing point and 2 levels of seating on the ground level. This double level seating allows the children opportunities to climb and provides more seating in a small space. The pavilion is not intended to be kept pristine but used and enjoyed like the play equipment in the play area – I see it as an extension of the play area but with the added bonus of giving shelter. Including a partial glass roof provides other opportunities, not only is it gratifying to be able to see the sky and gain more natural light it could allow for educational opportunities for studying clouds and stars.

I think there are a number of strengths in the design, firstly those mentioned above, secondly that designing it on two levels supplies space for more occupants. I also feel it links well with the history of the area; a wooden structure with a viewing point sees similarities to a Roman fort, the cylindrical shape with a domed roof like tumuli found at Old Ox Camp and the double wall to represent the double bank found around Old Ox Camp. The green roof will also allow it to look like tumuli from an aerial view. The materials marry with those of the play equipment so that the pavilion is not jarring or out of place.

Before adding the spiral staircase the proportions of the design felt weak to me. Prior to this addition the structure felt too narrow for it’s height and felt somewhat spindly. Although the addition of the staircase was not to address this proportion issue, as it was to address my desire for a slide, for me it did deal with this matter and unintentionally made me feel very satisfied that this niggle was dealt with. I love the curves of the structure and adding the staircase provided yet another but with different forms and spatial arrangements, which added more interest and in my eyes made the structure much more pleasing.

A weakness that does remain however is that floor space is fairly small providing shelter for 4 or 5 people on each floor only.

Images

Image 1. [Image] At: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ea/d1/00/ead10076d0123b476578107b59a554d0.jpg. (Accessed on 11.10.19)

Image 2. Design Boom (2019). house O. [image] At: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/penda-house-o-wood-artist-beijing-07-14-2014/ (Accessed on 11.10.19)

Image 3. Design Boom (2019). GG Loop. [image] At: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/gg-loop-freebooter-apartment-complex-amsterdam-04-03-2019/gallery/image/gg-loop-freebooter-apartment-complex-amsterdam-designboom-13 (Accessed on 11.10.19)

Bibliography

Rospa.com. (2019). Wooden play equipment – RoSPA. [online] Available at: https://www.rospa.com/play-safety/advice/wooden-play-equipment/ (Accessed on 08.08.19)

Images

Cartwright, M. (2016). Roman Fort, Lunt. Ancient History Encyclopedia. [photograph] Available at: https://www.ancient.eu/image/5990/roman-fort-lunt/ (Accessed on 08.08.19)

Anon. (2019). Synthetic Grass. [photograph] Available at: https://www.playdale.co.uk/playground/synthetic-grass.html (Accessed 10.08.19)

Anon. (2019). Green Roof Pavilion. [photograph] Available at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_Roof_Pavilion,_Parker_Mill_Park,_Ann_Arbor_Township,_Michigan.JPG (Accessed on 10.08.19)

Anon. Old Ox Camp. [image] Available at: https://myoxton.org/about-oxton/oxton-history/oxton-archaeology/ (Accessed on 10.08.19)

(2019). Versatile Embankment Slide – Plastic Open Slide. [image] Available at: https://www.playdale.co.uk/playground/versatile-embankment-slide-plastic-open.html (Accessed on 10.08.19)

Anon. (2015). [photograph] Available at: https://www.pergolagazebos.com/cover-roof/various-pergola-roof-ideas-make-homes-fantastic/ (Accessed 10.08.19)

Anon. (2011). Oxton in Stellarium. [image] Available at: http://archaeopoject.pbworks.com/w/page/41076068/Oxton%20in%20Stellarium (Accessed on 10.08.19)

Anon. (2019). Spiral Staircase. [image] Available at: https://www.completestairsystems.co.uk/ (Accessed on 15.11.19).

As I built a model I had some further thoughts for the design, deciding that it would be more fun for children to have a slide down from the viewing platform, which would curve around the outside of the Pavilion next to the stairs.

I also developed the roof, feeling that it would be a real bonus to be able to have windows in the roof to see the wonderful big skies and clouds, fire works on bonfire night and stars. Due to it’s rural location Oxton does not have too much light pollution making it a wonderful place to see stars.

Bibliography

Frearson, A. (2014). FAT pairs Modernism with pop culture for British Pavilion in Venice. [online] Dezeen. At: https://www.dezeen.com/2014/06/05/british-pavilion-a-clockwork-jerusalem-venice-architecture-biennale-2014/ (Accessed on 26.07.19)

designboom | architecture & design magazine. (2019). kindergarten in vietnam by kientruc o features a hilltop play area. [online] At: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/kientruc-o-ben-tre-kindergarten-vietnam-03-03-2019 (Accessed on 26.07.19)

designboom | architecture & design magazine. (2019). tezuka architects forms series of round structures for nursery in japan. [online] At: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/tezuka-architects-muku-nursery-japan-03-26-2019/ (Accessed on 26.07.19)

Frearson, A. (2012). Alésia Museum visitor’s centre by Bernard Tschumi Architects. [online] Dezeen. At: https://www.dezeen.com/2012/03/20/alesia-museum-visitors-centre-by-bernard-tschumi-architects/ (Accessed on 26.07.19)

1. Occupant

Based on the research I undertook of Oxton I found that the children’s play area was upgraded and the older children’s activity area was created due to an increase in families and young children in the village.

Apart from the cricket club, which use the recreation ground to play matches and whom have their own pavilion, the recreation ground is mostly used by families with young children. Children in the village come with friends or family to enjoy the area and families come from surrounding areas, often meeting with other families for children to play and families to picnic. Thus I have chosen children to be the main occupant of the pavilion.

In Exercise 1.2 I previously highlighted the recreation ground and play area as a popular destination in the village – https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/leesstudyjourney.home.blog/1109

2. Function

The recreation ground is a great place for children and families to come, some traveling a distance to visit. However, if it rains or the sun is very strong there is nowhere for people to shelter. The village hall is open only for events or private functions and the cricket pavilion is for the cricket team and spectators, leaving children and families no option but to either stick out inclement weather, go to their cars for shelter or leave the area.

I would like children and families to feel secure in the fact that they have somewhere to take shelter, should the weather be unfavourable. Showers are often short, so people may not want to leave the site but will want shelter for a short duration. Conversely parents may want children to take cover if the sun is very strong. Knowing there is a place for cover may increase the number of visitors, otherwise some may chose not to come on particular days if there is a chance of rain. A Pavilion for shelter should also increase the enjoyment and appreciation of the location.

Brief

Design a Pavilion, no larger than 9m2 in footprint and no higher than 6m, on Oxton Recreation Ground to provide a shelter for children who come to play on the site.

Sun Path at Oxton recreation ground

Average Weather Patterns for Oxton, Nottinghamshire

Approach, access and egress, current and past use, transport links and relationship to Village Hall

How the research has informed my ideas

Spending time on the recreation ground and researching the areas history has definitely assisted me in deciding on the best location for the pavilion. It has also given me a number of ideas as to what form and materials the pavilion should be created from and made me think about the pavilion from a civil stand point. Oxton is a traditional, conservative village, to create anything too contemporary in design or materials I think would contrast too highly with the village vernacular and be disapproved of by the villagers and Parish Council, which hold some authority in the village. Currently my thinking would be to create a design which relates to one of the historical sites in the area and using wood as a main material in the form of wooden posts. This would marry with the posts of the play area and reference wood as an ancient building material as well as honour the fact that Oxton was once part of Sherwood Forest.

Research reflection

Undertaking the research has given me a greater knowledge of the history of the village. To a greater extent it has made me think about the purpose of the pavilion, what part would it play in the village, who could and would use it and what would it add to the village to make it something worth while. Added to this it has helped me eliminate ideas in relation to design and building materials, as mentioned above. Initially I had ideas of something quite cutting edge, using contemporary materials. However, the time spent researching and thinking about the pavilion fitting into the village I realised these design ideas would be unlikely to work or be popular.

All of the approaches suggested in the course work and which I took I would use again, each has brought something to my current thinking and decisions. I feel it is best to explore all these angles, some have more relevance than others but each should be explored for practical reasons and to help the creative juices flow!

Bibliography

My Oxton. (2019). My Oxton. [online] At: https://myoxton.org/ (Accessed on 13.06.19)

Timeanddate.com. (2019). Sun & moon times today, Oxton, England, United Kingdom. [online] At: https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/@2640716 (Accessed on 19.07.19)

Images

NottsBus 747 Route Map. (2019). [image] At: https://bustimes.org/services/747-lowdham-calverton-oxton (Accessed on 16.07.19)

Old Forge Oxton, Pump [photograph] At: https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101387166-petrol-pump-to-east-of-the-forge-oxton#.XTHCAPZFzcU (Accessed on 19.07.19)

Oxton Village School. [photograph] At: https://myoxton.org/about-oxton/places-of-interest/ (Accessed on 19.07.19)

Murray-Rust, A. (n.d.).[Photograph] The Manor House (C) Alan Murray-Rust. Geograph.org.uk. At: https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1629233 (Accessed on 29.03.19)

(New build) (2018) [photograph] At: https://media.rightmove.co.uk/dir/crop/10:9-16:9/38k/37766/76540496/37766_NOT140113_IMG_01_0000_max_476x317.jpg. (Accessed on 29.03.19)

(Terrace) (2018) [photograph] At: http://media.rightmove.co.uk/13k/12215/37701983/12215_100027A_27_IMG_01_0001.JPG. (Accessed on 29.03.19)

(Barn conversion) [photograph] At: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/35/4a/2e/354a2ea9f0bca241fa0a7dc415a1beb8.jpg. (n.d.). (Accessed on 25.03.19)

(Elmcroft) (2019) [photograph] At: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=44747656&sale=59725611&country=england. (Accessed on 25.03.19)